The Penn's Grove record., 1887-08-13

too long dulleu by MS HdJlVo siloheo
for him to have detected the imminent
change.
Consequently he was greatly aston
ished when, upon stepping along the
veranda and spreading his umbrella, he
found the rain had entirely ceased.
AS his friends well knew, foremost
among the things lie hated--there was
a long list of foremosts-was an UNI
brella. SO, on finding be did not need
one, he recklessly set his down in the
rack in the hall and sauntered mdif-
ferently out.
He did not directly follow Miss Shep-
herds route, but struck off into a
street that was sure to intercept her.
After much readjusting OF hat and
coat, he finally settled down to genuine
hard work in meeting and resisting the
wind.
1t was a gusty gale. 1t smelt of the
white caps that were tearing along the
shore, and of the Norway pines, black
with wet but unrumpled, that clothed
the land.
He gave up his cigar at once as i'm
practicable, and flung 1t away. He
was in sight of his wlll-o'-the-wisp, for
she, not offering as great a bulk of re.
sistance of himself, had not got on
famously against the opposing force.
She had shut up her umbrella, but as
she could not keep her gossamer within
any decorous limits, she looked very
much like a pedestrian balloon, and
Manchester laughed to himself at the
way tho elements dared to trifle with
her grace. A little refrain burst out
In his head.
~ should call her-I should maize her,
Hamadryad OF he-CaoutchoucE
It was inglorious as to rhyme or
measure, but ultilitarian as to quality,
as beGtted a commercial man.
Now he put forth his muscle. He
left off walking-he strobe. She was
tapping along the beach in advance
with a streaming blue veil out for a
pennon. But she did keep her feet
admirably. Diana couldn't have done
better if she had been forced into petit
coats.
Still he gained upon her sensibly.
He found superabundant zest in some
thing. Ozone? Lung expansionp Or
was 1t the t~antaliZing, never-twice- alike
woman who eluded while she led-the
woman with ''less common sense than
any he had aver known"
Test there was at any rate, that
brought a rudy color to his face and
cleared away the discomfort of the
morning from his spirits.
He had quite overtaken her before
she knew of the pursuit.
"Let me carry that umbrella" he
said, without preface.
IF you please-it holds several
pounds of water, and l am tired of it,. -
II did not start till the rain was
over''-an accent of self-righteous COM
placence on the personal pronoun.
II was out just in time for the final
dash," and she delivered over to him
her water-soaked burden.
He shook it out, re-folded it, twisted
it into as close compass as possible,
buttoned it, and then used it as a cane.
sis this the way to Board-of-Trade
Glen?" she asked, with mischievous
glance.
''Quite the opposite-entlrely oppo-
site. But-ShdU we go there?" halt
ing and half eager to carry out his first
purpose.
20 no. l think 1 prefer the open
beach. 1t would be like a stroll under
a street-sprlnkler to walk in the woods
now"
SLOW is the headache," Miss Shep-
herd?" moving along graveIy after this
rebuff.
A sudden expression swept over her
face that looked to him like guilt. He
directly felt.a suspicion. half angry,
half helpless, that be had been put off
all day from seeing her by a mere
hackneyed Plea sort Of feminine
professional escape.
Before she could answer, he added:
Oh, it has served its purpose. proba.
bly,, and died. like any other ephemera."
To have him Grabbed usually amused
| Miss Shepherd; to have him 1ronical
freze her into indifference; but this
direct assumption that she had been
shsmming gave her an unwonted sense
of pain.
Tile truth was, she had walked In the
morning with the headache, and had
sent him a message to that effect when
he had desired to see her at an unrea-
senably early hour. But it had passed
off, aud she had quite forgotten that it
ever had been.
do you think that a headache is a
part of my stock IN trader" she asked,
with a high color.
"Oh. mol forgive me; of course L
don't. If I did think that. it would be
to class you with all other women in
that particular. And in no particular
are you like any other woman"
That was making amends with a
vengeance. Silence followed the
speech.
ISN'T this too much effort for you,
Miss Shepherd-this battle with the
wind?" after a pause.
"Oh. no; l like it."
"But IL you were to take my arm l
am sure that it would steady you until
we get in the Zee of that wood; then it
will be very much easier.
II do very well alone, thank you"
"H'm-mlp
SIS this a favorlte promenade, Miss
Shepherd? I should think it might be
fine exercise to walk here when the
sand is deep and dry. 1t must come
over ones shoe-tops, and IS as unstable
asa woman's temper"
sis that your strongest simile, MIR.
Manchester.
II do not think of anything at pres
ent that could strengthen it."
81 do walk here frequently. Now
and then 1 meet a stray Indian woman.
You have noticed the grace of these
| squawsf 1t comes from their prefer.
ence for the sand as a promenade. But
they generally carry a basket Of fish or
a pappoose on their shoulders, to effect
a proper balance"
"They are hideous. They don't walk
they plough"
"Try the beach some dry day, your
self, Mr.. Manchester. and see how easy
it is to be graceful
sit is easy now, at least" he said,
significantly glanclng at her, really
trimming v with compliment, and
anxious to get below the tart crust of
her mood, into the lurking places OF her
sweetest humor.
She ignored him.
She halted, now, tracing the faint
ridges in the sand, where each out